Roll-towel cabinet



Feb. 21, 1928.

E. T. HAILS ROLL TOWEL CABINET Filed Sept. 29, 1924 Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE.

EDWARD TROY HAILS, OF MONTGOMERY; ALABAMK/ ROLL TOWEL CABINET.

Application'filed September-29, 1924. Serial:No. 740,512

My invention relatesv to roll towel'cabinets of the character in whicha roll containing a clean'towel is adapted to be introduced into the cabinet which comprises mechanism for automatically feedingv and rewinding the towel as it becomes soiled on. a soiled towel roll which, when filled, can

the unwinding and-rewinding of the towel shall'respond automatically to the openingand closing of that part or'door of the cabinet which, when closed, conceals the service loop-v,

To these ends my invention contemplates the provision of a cabinet adapted to receive clean and-soiled towel rolls and having associatedwith-each'of said rolls a friction feed roll, the latterrolls being connected for alternate operation responsive to the opening and closing of the selective movable part ofthe cabinet which normally conceals the this'movable part'of the cabinetis the bottom of the cabinet and-the opening of itwill unwind sufficient clean towels to furnish the.

standard size service loop, and the closing of it will rewind the soiled towel into the cabinet. '1 Y invention further contemplates the provision of simple and effective -means which are positive in their action and which prevent a pullon theservice loop, unw,1nd-

in gthetowel'from the clean or'soiled towel rolls.

My invention further comprisesthe novel details of construction and arrangementsof parts, which in'their' preferred embodiment only are-illustrated in the accompanyin'gf.

drawings; which form" a part of this speci= ficationyand in which i- I Fig.1 is a sideviewof myamprovedcabt service loop." In my preferred construction net with I the near end wall removed and with the bottom door shown in dotted-lines inits open position. Fig. 2 is a front viewv of the cabinet showingpart of .the front broken away on the line 22 of .Fig. 1 to expose the internal operating,mechanism. V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view ofthe clean towel roll latch in its operating position.

Fig. {Lis a detail view of the-clutch drive connection between the sprocket and roller.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughoutthe drawings.

As illustrated, I show a cabinet having ,a top 1, a front 2 with an opening enclosed by ahinged door 3, a back wall 4, and end walls 5 and 6. To the bottom of the backwall 4.1

hinge a bottom-closure 7 for thecabinet,

which closure is deeply recessed so asto provide a pocket to receive the shortened service loop of the: .towelwhich will be later-described. Thisbottom closure is provided with any; suitable latch-means8 by which it is normally heldin its raised or closed posi j tion in which it contacts'with the sides and front; ofthe cabinet and forms an effective ating arm 11 which is pivotally connectedat12 to the inside of the bottom closure 7. Thislarm ll at its upper end is twisted and suitably connected by a pin-13 to a sprocket chain 14 passing over clutch sprockets 15 and 16 which are mountcd'on the axes l7 and 18 respectively of'the upper friction feed roll 19 forthe. dirty towel, and-the-lower fric tion feed roll 20 for the clean towel. I These clutch sprockets are providedwith internal cam-surfaces'21 engaged by rollers 21 which bear on-theshaft17 or 18, and it will be seen by the disposition of the cam surfaces that the sprocket 15 will clutch the shaft 17 only when it is movedcounter-clockwiseand that the clutch sprocket 16 will only engage the shaft 18"when moved clockwise. It follows that the sprocket 15 will move idly in a clockwise direction and that the sprocket 16 will move idly in a counter-clockwise directi0n." -As the bottom closure 7 is. swung downwardly .thclclutchr sprocket 1 6 acts to drivethe feed roll' 20, while on the reverse movement the clutch sprocket operates to drive the feed roll 19. 22 is a roll carrying the clean towel 23 while 24 isa rewind roll to receive the soiled towel. The bottom partition 9 is spaced sufficiently from the.

gravity against the towel and to serve as a clamp to prevent the soiled towel being pulled downwardly and unwound from the roll 24.

To prevent the unwinding of the towel from the clean towel roll 22, I provide on the end of thefriction feed roll 20a series of pins 28 and I pivotally mount on the operating bar 11 a hook latch 29 normally'held by a spring 30 in position in which, when the closure 7 is in fully opened position, this hook will engage or move into the path of one of the pins 28 and will prevent the rotation of the friction feed roll 20 and thus-the unwinding of the towel from the roll 22.

The clean towel roll is removably mounted Q in guides'31 formed in the'end walls 5 and 6,

the lower part of the guide being vertical so that the full weight of the clean towel will rest upon its feed roll 20. I The soiled towel roll 24' is'mounted' in inclined guides 32 35 formed in the upper portions of walls 5 and 6. The feed roller shafts 17 and 18 are journaled in the end walls 5 and 6 and suitable bearings and ahandle 33 can be provided for the cabinet closure 7 In operation, the clean towel-is introduced on its roll 22and its free end is passed forwardly between the roll and the feed roller. 20 and then downwardly past the front edge of the partition 9 and under the latter and upwardly past the back edge orpartition 9 and past the friction grip- 26 and over the guide 25 and is passed forwardly about the rewindroll 24 and connected thereto. When ready for use the towel will have what I term a preliminary or short service loop hanging down in the compartment provided therefor in the closure 7 Ordinarily this preliminary loop willihang in the compartment to a depth of about 4" from the center of the partition 9 and this will give about one-half of the amount-of towelrequired for a full service loop. When the operator uses the cabinet he grasps the handle 33 on the bottom closure 7 and pulls it down to its dotted position, Fig. 1. This acts through the operating bar 11 to pull the chain 14 in one direction, causing the rotation only of the feed roller 20 for the clean towel and it will rotate this roller sufficiently to feed enough clean towel to approximately double the amount of towel in the loop, thus giving what I call a full service loop whichrequires feed roll 19, which will take up on the soiled towel roll the amount of towel that was delivered by the operation of. the opening of the closure 7 to the service loop, thus-withdrawing towel from'the service loop so as to contract it. to its small size. 'Whenthe closure 7 is next opened the feeding of the.

clean tow-cling which results will leave only the latter exposed, leaving thesoiled towel unseen in the loop at the rear thereof. When the door is fully opened the latch v29 will engage one of the pins 28 and prevent-the '85 prevent any clean. toweling being withdrawn movement of the friction roll 20 and thus by a pull exerted on the service loop.- In the same manner the friction; grip element 26 will prevent the unwinding of soiled tow;

eling from the roll 24 and in this manner the amount of toweling in the service loop is.

maintained substantially constant. 7 Though I have described with eat p the invention herein shown, it is not-tobe tion as defined in the appended claimsl ters Patent, is

1. In a roll towelcabinet, a clean towel roll and a feed roll associated therewith, a

soiled towel roll and afeed roll associated therewith, a common operating mechanism for said feed rolls adapted .whenmoved in one direction to rotate only one roll and.

when moved in the reverse direction to rotate only the other roll, a movable closureon the cabinet adapted when operated to expose the service loop of the towel, and means operated responsive to the movement of. said closure to unwind the clean towel intothe' ticularity the details of the embodimentof service loop as the closure is opened andto I rewind thesoiled towel from the service loop onto the soiled towel roll as, the closurefis.

closed. I

'2. A roll towel rolls therefor, of a common operating mechanism which when moved in' one direction 'will operate one feed roll only and'when moved in the reverse.direction.willoperate cabinet according to claim 1, in combination with means to; prevent the unwinding of the towel from either the clean; or soiled towel rolls when the, service loop is" 7 only the other feed roll, a bottom door for concealing the service loop of the towel, and means responsive to the opening and closing movements of said door to operate the actuating mechanism for said feed rollers.

4:. A roll towel cabinet having a pair of friction feed rolls and means to mount clean and soiled towel rolls in position, each to coact with its respective feed roll, means to permit a service loop of towel to hang in the lower part of the cabinet, a movable door in the cabinet adapted when closed to conceal the service loop and when opened to expose it for use, mechanism responsive to the opening and closing of said door to change the towel forming the loop, the towel changing means comprising mechanism to feed clean towel into and increase the size of the service loop responsive to the opening of the door, and

20 means to withdraw the added towel from the loop and rewind it on the soiled towel roll responsive to the closing of the door.

5. A roll towel cabinet comprising a pair of feed rolls, a common clutch controlled drive for said rolls, a cabinet door adapted to operate said drive to rotate one roll as the door opens and the other roll as the door closes, clean and soiled towel rolls adapted to oo-act with their respective feed rolls, and a latch means movable with the door and adapted to prevent rotation of the clean towel feed roll when said door is fully opened.

6. A roll towel cabinet in accordance with claim 5, in combination with friction grip means to prevent the unwinding of the towel from the soiled towel roll responsive to a.

pull on the service loop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.v

EDWARD TROY HAILS, 

